The Rangers have done a lot of celebrating this year. The President’s Trophy isn’t the ultimate goal.
AP Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Before the Rangers take the ice to host the Senators, apparently there’ll be a presentation before puck drop. The official Rangers twitter account teased what it’ll be about.

Obviously, with the franchise clinching the President’s Trophy for the league’s best record on Tuesday, they’re going to honor the team. While it is a nice accomplishment considering the history of the Rangers, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Unless this season results in a Stanley Cup, nobody will care. As has been the team mantra, it’s championship or bust.

What I don’t get is why they’re making such a big deal out of it. It’s almost as if MSG wants fans to celebrate every win. If you listen to the broadcast tandem of Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti, everything is blown up. I don’t remember Rosen and former partner John Davidson going gaga over the President’s Trophy in ’93-94. That’s because MSG Network actually used to be down the middle prior to James Dolan. They actually used to have hard hitting shows like SportsDesk hosted by Bob Page and Mike Crispino. It was even okay to criticize the Garden’s own teams.

If there’s one thing I can’t stomach about the social media craze, it’s this waving the pom poms approach. From the way new fans act to the way the Twitter has become, it’s enough to make you sick. The real diehard who sits up in what used to be the Blue Seats doesn’t care about any of this stuff. Believe it or not, there are still passionate fans who bled Blue during the awful years when they missed the playoffs for nearly a decade. We sat through many sleepless nights watching an awful product. The true loyalty and patience paid off. Even if Dolan’s new MSG wants to price us out and cater to the newbies.

I’ll be honest. I hate the new MSG. They have divided the fanbase. It’s not as fun going to games. The atmosphere isn’t the same. It’s been dead ever since the renovation. The place just isn’t as loud. It can still be that way for the big playoff game. Ask any player about why they’ve won the big ones at home and they’ll tell you. Game 6 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final felt like Game 7 against Montreal. One goal was enough. That team played a perfect game to reach the Stanley Cup Final. That’s how it MUST be this Spring. Home ice can still be an advantage when it’s needed. That’s where the diehards come in.

I tweet with most of them on Twitter. They’re the kind who aren’t making a big deal out of our team clinching the best record. For the 2014-15 Rangers, the journey isn’t over. Far from it. When you hear the players talk, they seem focused on a much bigger goal. That’s because they could care less about a President’s Trophy. The ultimate goal is still ahead. It involves going through four grueling rounds and requires 16 wins. Something they fell three short of doing last year. They tasted bitter defeat against the Kings. This year is about retribution. It’s about winning a championship.

2014-15 has a chance to be a very special season for the New York Rangers. While the organization will recognize what they’ve accomplished so far later tonight, that’s not what their players are thinking about. It all begins for real next week. Whether it’s Wednesday or Thursday, that’s what everyone is waiting for. I’m ready. Are you?